As the NFL Draft approaches, the new leadership duo of Mike Maccagnan and Todd Bowles need to prepare their big board with personnel needs in mind.
The NFL Draft is nearing ever so closely, and for fans of the New York Jets they can hardly contain themselves.
What a difference a few months make.
John Idzik allowed the team’s salary cap to reach epic “flexibility” proportions. All told it hovered near the $50 million mark in cap space for much of his reign. In contrast, new boss Mike Maccagnan realized this isn’t baseball, and money not spent in the NFL is money wasted.
Names like Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, Buster Skrine, Marcus Gilchrist and Brandon Marshall are all on board. Even the re-signing of David Harris was very noteworthy.
Granted, some of the deals will be rough toward the backend. This is especially the case for the Harris agreement which provides the 31-year old veteran with $15 million guaranteed over the first-two years of the deal.
While Harris has been a stalwart as the Jets defensive quarterback since 2007, his pass defending abilities rival the worst inside linebackers in the league.
Nevertheless, with youngster Demario Davis stepping into a more prominent role, the position is now locked down solid for 2015.
More from New York Jets
- Aaron Rodgers offers perspective on the Jets offensive line
- By signing Dalvin Cook, New York Jets confirm they’re all-in
- What does Dalvin Cook bring to the New York Jets?
- Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson’s bond will lead to promising future
- New York Jets undrafted rookie receiver stealing someone’s job
The point is Maccagnan quickly made things happen and assured a solid roster for 2015. He took a cap number that was insanely rich at $50 million and turned it into only a $10 million situation, via Spotrac.
In fact, he addressed the biggest need with immediate and drastic action. Even though New York finished 14th in the league in pass defense (243.1 yards per game allowed), the eye test put them as the worst secondary in the league.
However, by no means is this team now perfect. They still have their own unique personnel needs heading into the NFL Draft.
Here are the Top 5 Personnel Needs for the New York Jets:
Next: Thunder and Lightning?